MIKEY

Tomorrow on the new episode of my Food Network show, my brother Mike comes over to the ranch for the day and I make him enchiladas, let him drive me around on the Rhino, and, eventually, send him home with a care package of food. And while it might appear on the show that Mike comes over for, like, two minutes—which actually probably would have been his preference—he was indeed on the ranch all day long, riding around, fishing, hanging with Marlboro Man, the kids, and me and repeatedly looking at his watch and reminding me to be sure to get him back before 5:00 because he had very important dinner plans.

He always has very important dinner plans.

Within five seconds of Mike’s arrival on the ranch, he’d zeroed in on the fact that the crew used high-tech walkie talkies to communicate with one another. He immediately told Steve, the field director, that Steve he felt he should have his own walkie talkie, that would be absolutely okay with Mike.

Steve was very nice and said, “Okay, Mike—great!”

Approximately sixty seconds passed, then Mike nudged Steve again. “You want me to have one of those radios, Steve?” he asked. “I don’t mind.”

“Oh, I think it’s fine, Mike—if we need to give you one after awhile, I’ll let you know,” Steve replied.

And I’m standing there thinking, Poor Steve. He has no idea that Mike will have his own radio sometime in the next two minutes.

Which is exactly what happened. Mike was given his own walkie talkie, and because Mike and I hopped in the Rhino and took off together shortly thereafter, he got to use it right away.

“Okay, Mike,” Steve instructed. “You and your sister go do your thing and have fun, but if we need you to head back this direction, we’ll let you know.”

Mike nodded casually, as if this was absolutely no big deal to him at all.

So Mike and I took off on a Rhino ride of terror that involved Mike gunning it repeatedly and giving me whiplash. Then we heard Steve’s voice over the walkie talkie. “Mike, could you drive back in this direction now? We’d like to get some shots of you and Ree driving around.”

Mike brought the walkie talkie to his mouth, pressed the button, and responded “Ten-four.”

I quietly wondered if a British field director would have any idea what ten-four meant.

Mike once again brought the walkie talkie to his mouth, pressed the button, and responded. “Ten-four.”

“I’m sorry?” Steve asked.

“Ten-four,” Mike repeated.

“Okay,” Steve replied.

So Mike and I stopped for a second and I readjusted my cervical spine. Then we just visited about life for a minute or two before hearing Steve say over the walkie talkie, “Okay, Mike—ACTION!”

Mike brought the walkie talkie to his mouth, pressed the button, and responded. “Action.”

“Mike,” I said, chuckling. “You don’t have to say ‘Action’ when they say ‘Action.’ You just have to—well, do an action.”

Mike looked at me and said “Ten-four.”

Anyway, I think you’ll really enjoy the show. Mike charmed the crew, gave them all his business card, and proposed to three of the girls. He lost his hat when Marlboro Man took him on a joyride (i.e. drove him off a cliff) on the Rhino, and he went fishing with the kids. And even though he was eager for me to take him home so he could get on with his dinner plans that night, as we were pulling away from the house he was quick to tell me that if I needed him to film some more, he could always come back tomorrow.

And also, if Steve needed to give him his own walkie talkie again, that would be just fine, too.

Heh.

ANNIVERSARY

Today is my wedding anniversary.

So I wrote a Haiku.

My Marlboro Man
Does not smoke but he is hot
And he lights my fire.

I’m going to go spend the morning cleaning out my grody car, then Marlboro Man said he’d fix my tire. After that I’m going to finish the last of my pantry and freezer cleanout and Marlboro Man said he’d haul off all the trash. Then I’m going to make him lunch and he’s going to help me get our yard cleaned up. Then we’re going to have dinner here at home with the kids and watch a horror movie, but not until after it gets dark.

Now that’s love, baby.

SCARY

In the past two weeks, I’ve looked at my clock on various occasions and have seen the following times:

4:44
1:11
2:22
5:55

The first time, when it was 4:44 that first day, I thought, “Oh, cool!”

The second time, when it was 1:11, I thought, “Neat! But what a coincidence. I just saw 4:44 a couple of days ago.”

The third time, when the clock read 2:22, I got a little flutter in my belly. “What are the chances?” I thought. “This is getting a little…weird.”

Then yesterday, when the clock read 5:55, I felt concerned.

Now, as I start to put the pieces together, I’m beginning to fear that I’m on some kind of a countdown and I have only one chance left. What’s going to happen when I look at my clock and see that it’s 3:33? Now I’m purposely avoiding looking at my clock anywhere in the three o’clock hour for fear it might happen. Kind of like when I avoided showering for those ten years after I first saw Psycho. Soon I will have sworn off the clock completely and will have to revert back to olden times when people used the position of the sun and their innate senses to detect the time of day.

529 Comments and 26 Replies

It’s almost always 11:07 when I look at the clock. Seriously. And I don’t mean to look then. It’s very freaky and it’s been happening for our whole marriage. In college I went to an improv night called (and begun at 11:07) and in college my husband was in a nerdy poetry group that they began at… 11:07. I can’t guess the meaning of it but if I someday die at 11:07 I wouldn’t be surprised. In fact I’ll be disappointed if my time of death says anything else.

502

judi h. On Monday, September 24 at 5:34 pm

Happy Anniversary!!! The sky picture is captivating – LOVE IT! 7:77

503

Julia On Monday, September 24 at 6:20 pm

Happy Anniversary! And… get an analog clock. It will tell you the time in the nicest way.

504

Deanna S On Monday, September 24 at 6:47 pm

You kill me…with laughter!

505

Jenny On Monday, September 24 at 6:48 pm

Happy Anniversary! My husband and I have the same annivesary date as you and we just celebrated 21 years. Congratulations to you and Marlboro Man

506

Bonnie S On Monday, September 24 at 8:03 pm

I absolutely enjoyed watching your brother Mike on your show. You should have him on more often. The love you have for him shows, and the nice things you said about him made me cry. God Bless you Ree, and your family. Happy late anniversary.

507

Ana On Monday, September 24 at 8:07 pm

Happy Anniversary! Loved the episode.

508

Amy On Monday, September 24 at 8:16 pm

Where could I buy the turquoise cast iron skillet you use on this “Mike” episode? I would love to have one that color!
Thanks for sharing your family and Mike with us, I was smiling the entire show!

509

Kate Ebs On Monday, September 24 at 11:30 pm

Is there a link to watch your cooking shows online?! I always miss it!

510

Julie Bellatti Goodwin On Monday, September 24 at 11:44 pm

When I was pregnant with my first child I kept on waking up at 4:03 every morning. I also got a little freaked out about it… so no, I don’t think you are crazy. Happy Anniversary, just finished reading your love story a few weeks ago!

512

Dixie On Tuesday, September 25 at 8:33 am

Happy anniversary. Love your blog and show. Have my DVR set to record it every week. Great to see Mike on the show and all of your family. Definitely need to get the Charlie’s books for my grandkids.

513

LibGrrl03 On Tuesday, September 25 at 8:41 am

Years ago, I kept seeing the time 1:11. It happened so often, that I counted out the number of 1:11s that could happen. 1 hour 11 minutes, 1 day, 11 hours, etc. When I finally passed 1 year and 11 months without trauma or mishap, I breathed much easier.

514

Betty On Tuesday, September 25 at 10:47 am

I often see the times and dates of my children’s births when I look at a clock. It’s neat!!
I think 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44, and 5:55 are all fine, nothing to get worried about. But if it’s ever 6:66!!!!! You’ll need to buy a new clock!

515

Lynn On Tuesday, September 25 at 12:35 pm

I really enjoyed watching your brother on the show. What a sweetheart! I am sure he keeps you all in stiches. I tried his favorite enchiladas and I must say they were fabulous. I had friends out for dinner because I needed more guinea pigs. Hands down they are now one of our top 4 Mexican Favs…

516

MarthaC107 On Tuesday, September 25 at 12:40 pm

It happens all the time to me. No worries.

517

Katye Harris On Tuesday, September 25 at 1:02 pm

It happens to me quite often also…affected me the same way “cool…what are the chances…neat…uhm, what’s going on?” So to counteract it, I started saying a prayer each time I saw it…the number of times I repeated it based on the number showing (once for 1:11, 11 for 11:11, 2 for 2:22 etc…). Helps keep me calm, feel like I’m doing something productive and the world really can use more prayer

518

angabange On Tuesday, September 25 at 1:15 pm

For sure, this clock thing has been happening to me for about 2 weeks, it does get kind of creepy for a while but by now when it happens I just chuckle a little to myself, nothing bad has happened, and I’ve been told that it’s actually my loved ones in Heaven showing me they are here with me. It’s a good thing, enjoy it!

and Happy Anniversary!

519

LoriM On Wednesday, September 26 at 3:33 pm

That is so weird! Just this week I woke at 1:11 (in the am) and I thought it was really freaky! If it happened several times, i really would be scared too! Anyway, waking at 1:11 is nice, cuz I can go back to sleep for 4:19 more hours!

520

Kim On Wednesday, September 26 at 4:20 pm

Just worry when the clock says 6:66

521

TynaD On Wednesday, September 26 at 8:07 pm

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I wake up at 1:23, then 2:34, then 3:45, and then 4:56 …. I find it fascinating and a bit weird! Sometimes after seeing a couple of the
consecutive times in a row I will lay there and purposely wait a while before looking at the clock to try to stop the cycle only to glance and see that I actually waited just long enough to see the next one!

You know what’s weird? (And, I swear this is the truth!) I was just doing Pilates in my living room and I looked over at the stove. The clock said 1:11 pm and I was thinking, “who wrote in their blog about time in multiples again…?” but I couldn’t remember. Then I just sat down to look through some of my favourite blogs and saw your post on time! Funny. Or is it…?

524

Traci J. On Thursday, September 27 at 2:16 pm

Ree a bunch of us mom’s saw Mike at a Bruin’s away game in Skiatook and we all said “Hi Mike” and he said “Hi and how do you know my name?” Gotta love it, Mike did great on the show!

Randi On Friday, September 28 at 12:37 am

I think you’ll be okay as long as you don’t see 10:10 11:11 and 12:12 too. But I knew someone once that looked at the clock at 9:11 got a bad feeling and rushed home from work to find their significant other in the process of packing up and covertly sneaking out of their life! But 9:11 was a danger signal. You’ll be fine.

Darn, the one day I had to work the day shift,I missed seeing MikeHe sounds “crazy” and fun.Hope I can catch the show down the line.I love cowboys too.Have since I was a little girl and I’m now 66.Will always love them

528

laurie On Sunday, September 30 at 2:22 pm

I see 4:51 not only on the clock but all over the place it was the numbers of our address of where I lived as a child we didn’t have alot of money & now I’m Blessed with a beautiful home and family. I think it Gods way if reminging me how far I’ve come & all the blessing I now have everytime I see 451. (:

There should be a word for times like 1:11, 2:22, etc. There are how many? Add 3:33, 4:44, 5:55, 10:10, 11:11 and 12:12. Nothing happening for hours 6, 7, 8, or 9. I had a boyfriend once who told me hius favorite time is 11:11, and I still think of him when I notice that is is 11:11…….